Editorial: The Great Divide – Cape Town vs. Johannesburg market realities

Colleague Michael Fridjhon, who is himself Johannesburg-based, has often pointed out that Winemag.co.za faces a challenge due to its physical location in Cape Town, leaving it absent from Gauteng – the largest market for South African wine.

South Africa’s wine industry is anchored in the Cape – that’s where the vineyards are – so it makes some sense to be here but it can feel occasionally that we’re preaching to the converted. Looking at our users by city for the last 12 months, Cape Town makes up 31% and the entire Gauteng region 20%.

It’s even more of an issue for many boutique wineries, Gauteng – South Africa’s economic heartland – remains a distant, largely untapped market. Despite Johannesburg’s high disposable income, wine culture in the city lags far behind that of Cape Town. This raises important questions: Is the divide between the two regions driven by demand, logistics, or perhaps cultural and socio-economic factors?

Cape Town is the epicentre of South African wine culture. The proximity of the winelands means that Capetonians are immersed in wine in ways Johannesburgers aren’t. Visits to Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, or the Swartland are part of everyday life for many, allowing residents to taste new releases, attend exclusive winemaker dinners, and cultivate personal relationships with producers. For Capetonians, wine is more than just a drink – it’s woven into their lifestyle and social fabric.

This deep connection is reflected in the wine lists of Cape Town’s restaurants, where sommeliers curate selections that represent the region’s diversity, whether it’s blue-chip names or small-batch, experimental wines. The city’s inhabitants and its many international visitors are informed, adventurous, and eager to engage with wine beyond the basics.

Commenting on the recent guest column entitled “So who exactly is the ‘premium’ wine buyer?” by Brandon de Kock of marketing consultancy WhyFive, a user named Louis wrote: “It’s always interesting to talk to Cape top-end boutique wineries and hear how they perceive the Gauteng market—almost as if it were a foreign territory. For those in Johannesburg, accessing some of the country’s finest wines often requires real dedication. Many top wines are sold strictly on allocation, often only in cases of six, with delivery taking up to five days. While a handful of restaurants boast stellar wine lists, I agree that the majority remain uninspired, offering little variety or excitement for wine enthusiasts. The question remains: is this an issue of demand, logistics, or simply a lack of engagement with the Gauteng wine-buying audience?”

For those living in Cape Town, acquiring top-end wines is pretty much a seamless process. Direct sales from wineries, access to allocations, and quick deliveries make buying fine wines easy. This creates a thriving market of engaged wine enthusiasts who continuously seek new, exciting offerings. In Johannesburg, however, the whole undertaking is more cumbersome, limiting spontaneous engagement with wine in the way that Cape Town enjoys.

Another critical factor in the gap between wine cultures is the racial divide within South Africa’s broader social and economic landscape. The wine industry in South Africa is predominantly white, both in terms of its ownership and the consumer base that traditionally supported it. In contrast, Gauteng’s affluent population is predominantly black, with many of its wealthiest residents being part of a growing middle and upper class that has emerged post-apartheid.

While these consumers in Johannesburg have the financial means to enjoy luxury goods like wine, the cultural ties to wine appreciation are underdeveloped. Fine wine in South Africa has historically been positioned as a luxury item for white, European-descended consumers, leaving black South Africans with little exposure or opportunity to develop a deep connection with the product. This historical exclusion continues to shape the broader consumer culture, particularly in Gauteng.

The contrast in wine culture is mirrored by the difference in how luxury goods are consumed in the two regions. While Cape Town’s wine culture is more about mindful appreciation, Johannesburg tends to favour conspicuous consumption, where status is often displayed through visible wealth, such as expensive cars, clothes, and lavish lifestyles. It’s not difficult to understand – emerging affluence is going to prioritise prestige and immediate enjoyment over in-depth engagement with such rarified concepts as “terroir” or “minerality”.

Let’s not gloss over the fact that many wineries in Cape Town still operate under the assumption that Gauteng consumers are simply uninterested in wine, even though there is a latent demand for premium experiences. Johannesburg has shown strong interest in luxury markets like whisky and Champagne – industries that have successfully engaged consumers by creating accessible, high-quality brand activations. Wine, however, has not been marketed in the same way, nor has it been introduced to Gauteng’s burgeoning middle and upper class with the same intensity. Visiting Wine Paris or Prowein in Düsseldorf is just so much more glamorous for a producer than heading to Soweto…

This cultural divide is also evident in South Africa’s restaurant scene. The recently announced Eat Out 2025 star restaurant nominees list highlights this disparity. As former Winemag.co.za food columnist Anna Trapido notes in her Daily Maverick article “All change for SA’s top restaurant awards? No. More like business as usual,” of the 56 nominees, only 10 are from outside the Western Cape, with just one black-owned restaurant – Les Créatifs in Bryanston – making the cut. Trapido argues that while the list reflects fine-dining excellence, it overwhelmingly favours Eurocentric luxury, overlooking exceptional casual and regional eateries. The issue is not quality but rather an outdated definition of what constitutes “culinary excellence.” As with wine, the food cultures of the Cape and Gauteng are entirely distinct.

Is there a solution to all this? The divide between Cape Town and Johannesburg’s wine cultures is a complex interplay between access, engagement, and cultural relevance. But you have to think that Johannesburg’s wine market remains underdeveloped not because the demand isn’t there, but because the industry has failed to meet it with thoughtful, strategic engagement.

For wineries to succeed in Gauteng, they need to invest in direct consumer outreach, from winemaker dinners and private tastings to partnerships with Gauteng-based retailers and restaurateurs. Wineries should approach Gauteng not as an afterthought, but as a distinct market with its own set of logistical and especially cultural needs. By making wine more accessible, more exciting, and more authentic to the local experience, the divide between the Cape and Gauteng can begin to close – making room for a truly national wine culture in South Africa.